Weaving Crowns
by Mischel
Summary: Merthur Kiss Fest 2019 collection - First fic summary: Now that Merlin and Arthur are both kings and married, they hardly have time for each other anymore. Merlin's decided to do something about it, and he takes Arthur to a meadow, where they can finally have a moment alone to- make flower crowns? Well, that's not what Arthur expected. (But maybe that's exactly what he needed.)
1. Spring

**I'm back with a new fic! This one is a collection of four oneshots, all written for the Merthur Kiss Fest 2019. I participated last year with a fanfic called "Merlin's Guide to Reading a Book". This year, the fest is divided into four seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter. I've already got some ideas written down, so hopefully, I'll be able to write something for all seasons. First season "spring" is finished, and you can enjoy the fanfic below :)**

**Oh, and I also made art for this one! You can find the AO3 work with the art here: **_/works/22003000_

**Schedule of the fest:**

**• **spring: Dec 24 - 30  
**• **summer: Dec 31 - Jan 6  
**• **autumn: Jan 7 - 13  
**• **winter: Jan 14 - 20

**Summary:** Now that Merlin and Arthur are both kings and married, they hardly have time for each other anymore. Merlin's decided to do something about it, and he takes Arthur to a meadow, where they can finally have a moment alone to- make flower crowns? Well, that's not what Arthur expected. (But maybe that's exactly what he needed.)

**. . .**

**• ****SPRING ****•**

_**Weaving Crowns**_

**. . .**

Another sigh. "You know, when you insisted that I follow you in secret to get away from the knights, flower crown weaving was the last thing I expected to be doing."

Merlin chuckled at that. "I thought you enjoyed spending time with me."

They were sitting in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by wild flowers and loudly buzzing insects - bugs were flying all around them, always busy, always on their way somewhere. Just like their own lives recently. They never had enough time for each other, both having their responsibilities, both always in a hurry.

This moment, now, was the opposite. And that was why Merlin had taken Arthur's hand back in the camp, pressed his finger to his lips and led him over here. They could be alone out here. For a moment, they could leave their busy lives behind and just enjoy each other's company.

"I mean," Merlin smiled, his fingers finding another flower to use in the crown, "isn't that why you married me?" His eyes looked up at Arthur, satisfied with Arthur's light blush on his cheeks.

"It is," Arthur admitted sheepishly.

Merlin handed Arthur the flower and gently guided his fingers to where they needed to be to weave the flower into the crown.

Then his smile fell. Arthur noticed.

"It's just . . . it's been so long since we've had time just for us," Merlin told him. "You're always needed somewhere, and so am I. People never stop asking us for things they or others need. And I like helping them, it's just . . . "

"Difficult to find time for this?" Arthur gestured at both of them.

"Yeah."

Arthur nodded. "I do enjoy spending time with you," he said again. Merlin smiled up at him, glad to hear that.

When the flower crown was finished, Merlin lifted it and laid it on Arthur's head. Then he reached for his own that he'd finished earlier, and handed it to Arthur, who crowned Merlin in return.

Merlin reached for Arthur's hand, taking it and holding it softly, finally looking up to see Arthur with the crown on his head. His lips parted when he saw his king. He looked . . .

Unexpectedly, Merlin leaned in and kissed Arthur on the lips, his free hand flying up to his neck. Arthur blinked in surprise, soon melting into the kiss and closing his eyes. Soon though, Merlin pulled away.

Arthur blinked again, his cheeks rosy, and Merlin had to smile. "What was that for?" Arthur asked.

Merlin shrugged. "I just looked at you with the flower crown and . . . you looked so cute, I couldn't resist."

Arthur paused and admired Merlin's new look. Messy dark hair sticking up around the neatly woven flower crown, all petals the colour of Merlin's eyes . . . "I think I know what you mean," he smirked at him.

Arthur squeezed Merlin's hand and slowly brought him closer, connecting their lips in another kiss, this time gently. The busy insects kept buzzing around them as their lips moved, and the sun continued to shine on the two kings in the meadow.

"We need to make flower crowns more often, don't you agree?" Arthur whispered as they parted. Merlin only chuckled in agreement and leaned in for another kiss.

Out of all the short moments that they had shared over these past few busy weeks, this was by far the best one.

Just the two of them, quietly weaving flower crowns.

***the end***

**Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter! :)**


	2. Summer

**Well, I hope you'll enjoy this one! I didn't have the time to make art for it because I was studying, but I did pass the exam, so yay! :)**

**SUMMARY: **The world is full of new and exciting experiences for Arthur now that he came back from Avalon. But standing only in his "special swimming underwear" on an overcrowded beach where it feels like hundreds of people are watching him, doesn't seem like one of them.

Merlin is there to help him realize that even with many more people than Arthur is used to, it can still be fun when they're together :)

**. . .**

**• ****SUMMER ****•**

_**Hold My Hand, Let the Waves Come**_

**. . .**

It was the beginning of winter when Arthur returned to the world. And since it wasn't inevitably ending, he spent Christmas with Merlin, enveloped in blankets and each other's arms. They then tended to the garden and made multiple trips to the surrounding forests to weave flower crowns in the spring, and before they knew it, summer had arrived.

The temperatures rose higher, everything grew warmer, and people regularly started visiting swimming pools to cool down. Merlin had apparently decided that instead of a mere swimming pool, he'd take Arthur somewhere special - to the sea.

So that was how the former king of Camelot, the fearless Once and Future King, found himself stripped to his underpants, standing on a crowded beach, surrounded by countless people.

"-and I thought to myself _but Merlin, swimming pools are too slippery and ordinary_, _Arthur would probably appreciate something more natural,_ so I decided to bring you here." Merlin gestured at the beach, the cliffs, and the waves in the distance. "I haven't been to a beach in quite some time, because as you know, I got stuck waiting for you at the lake for literal centuries," Merlin chuckled awkwardly. "But yeah. We went to a beach a couple times back in Camelot, remember?"

Arthur wasn't listening. He was too preoccupied, thinking about all the _people there_. There were _hundreds_ of them. And he was in his _underwear!_

"Remember?" Merlin repeated and took Arthur's hand, finally getting the king's attention. "Arthur? What's wrong?"

Arthur opened his mouth and closed it again, swallowed and then finally looked at Merlin. "_Merlin!" _he hissed quietly at him. "We had beaches back in Camelot, but those were _empty!" _His eyes uneasily glided over all the different people of varying ages around him. "There are hundreds of people here! And I'm in my underwear!"

Merlin glanced down at Arthur's crotch and smiled at him reassuringly. "That's not your underwear, Arthur. Those are you swim trunks. You remember how we went to buy-"

"There's no difference and you know it."

Merlin sighed. "Look at all those people around you. They're all dressed the same, you don't have to be shy-"

"I am _not_ shy," Arthur hissed at him again, his eyes quickly scanning the people around to see if anyone heard them.

"Alright." Merlin took both Arthur's hands into his and brought them to his lips, gently kissing his knuckles. That got Arthur's full attention quickly. "Arthur, I know there are a lot of people here, but believe me, they all care about only one thing - the water. They don't know you, this isn't Camelot anymore. You have nothing to be scared of. And as far as I'm concerned, there are only the two of us, and I want us to have a great time here."

Arthur was quiet. He didn't want to ruin this, obviously the trip all the way to the beach wasn't easy for Merlin, and as he looked at the people in the water and the children running around - they all seemed to be having a good time.

When he didn't reply, Merlin added, "but if you feel uncomfortable, we can always leave and come another time or find somewhere else."

"No need," Arthur took a deep breath. He was a king for God's sake, he could handle a few more people than expected. And if Merlin was right and the only one paying attention to him would be Merlin, then maybe, after some time, Arthur could forget about all those unfamiliar eyes around him.

He nodded to reassure himself and squeezed Merlin's hands, glad to see his warlock smile. "We don't have to leave, just . . . lead me to the water."

Merlin's smile grew and a second later, he was already leading Arthur through the busy beach, skillfully avoiding all the umbrellas, running children, dogs, colourful inflatable balls and beach towels.

Before Arthur knew it, Merlin had let him away from all the people, to a secluded space behind one of the smaller cliffs. There were way fewer people here, only about a dozen.

"I found this place the last time I was here, maybe about a hundred years ago," Merlin explained as Arthur looked around. "It seemed lovely, and when there were a few people at the main beach, I could always hide here and be alone if I wanted."

For the first time since they'd arrived, Arthur began to smile. This was all he needed - fewer people, more space for him and more privacy and most importantly - Merlin there with him.

"So what are we waiting for?" Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand in return and rushed them to the water.

When he heard Merlin's laughter behind him, he knew he'd made the right decision about staying there. There were a lot of things still confusing him about this new world he'd found himself in, and some of those things, he'd probably never understand.

But when Merlin was there with him, he was willing to give them all a chance.

***the end***

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Autumn

**Well, I wrote this yesterday evening together with the winter fanfic, but I don't know if I'll be able to post it. I missed an exam yesterday, I've got another two soon and everything is a disaster right now, so I'm glad that I at least managed to edit this. I hope you'll like it! :)**

**SUMMARY: **Merlin and Arthur are on an important mission, but the weather betrays them and they end up being chased through a forest all the way to a cliff. There are only two options now - jump or be killed, and, well . . . _kissing_ isn't one of them. So . . . what are you doing, Arthur?

**. . .**

**• AUTUMN ****•**

_**Kissing It Better**_

**. . .**

The wind carries sound. Both Merlin and Arthur knew as much, and unfortunately, it was very windy on the day they chose to spy on a notorious group of bandits. There had been many reports lately about them, so it was up to Arthur and Merlin to put a stop to that.

Before that though, they needed to gather as much information about the bandits as they possibly could. And that meant that only Merlin and Arthur would go, and they'd hide nearby and spy on them.

So, yes. The wind carries sound. And no one would have probably heard Merlin and Arthur muttering to each other as they tried to listen, had it not been for the strong autumn wind, blowing from them towards the bandits.

Five minutes later, and Merlin and Arthur were up and running as fast as they could, trying not to trip on the wet leaves on the ground. (It __had__ been raining earlier that day.) The bandits followed, of course.

"This was a bad plan!" Merlin yelled. The wind picked up and Arthur could barely hear him, but judging from Merlin's expression, he was complaining again.

"It would have worked, had you not started talking!"

"I wouldn't have started talking, had you __listened to me and stayed quiet!"__

"__I was being quiet!"__

With the trees around getting scarce as they were leaving the forest and nothing to hold on to, they reached out to each other and continued running holding hands.

Only once the forest behind them disappeared, did they notice that they were running towards a cliff, effectively cutting themselves off from any chance of escape.

At least the wind had calmed down.

"We should have brought horses."

"I told you so!" Merlin reminded Arthur. "But you're the one who was so sure about this being an easy mission __and__ close to Camelot."

"Would you stop complaining for one second?" Arthur shouted, trying to concentrate and find a way out.

It was no use. As soon as Merlin opened his mouth to answer, they heard the bandits shouting as they emerged from the forest. It was only a matter of time before they reached them and killed them. And they didn't stand a chance against a group of twenty men.

As that thought occurred to both of them, Arthur swiftly turned around, grabbed Merlin's head and kissed him on the lips.

It was only a short kiss, but it still served two things. One, it made them forget about the bandits momentarily, and two, it lightened the mood and stopped their fighting.

"What was that for?" Merlin asked as Arthur let go, taking hold of his hand again and entwining their fingers.

They both knew at this point that if they wanted to survive, they would need to jump.

"For luck?" Arthur smiled at him. "You know, in case we don't survive the jump."

Merlin frowned at him, never looking away as he slowly asked, "Are you . . . are you forgetting that I have magic again?" It wasn't that long since Arthur had found out about it after all, and he did occasionally forget about it, but right now?

Instead of an answer, Arthur kissed him again and smirked at him. "Am I?"

Merlin couldn't help but smile. "Arthur Pendragon, you are __unbelievable.__"

But before Arthur could do anything but grin, the bandits were upon them. They squeezed hands and jumped off the cliff, quickly falling towards the small body of water beneath them. Merlin used magic to slow down their descent and also used that moment to __really __look at Arthur.

He was __still __grinning.

__That little-__

But how could Merlin ever stay mad at him when despite Arthur's poor planning skills (and his pretending that he'd forgotten about Merlin's magic again), at least he used their "last moment together" to kiss it better?

__Screw it__, he thought before he took Arthur by the collar and smashed their mouths together, wiping that smirk off his face.

A mere second after that, they both vanished beneath the water surface - their fight resolved and mission accomplished.

(Well, more or less.)

***the end***

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	4. Winter

**It finally started snowing here, but it was all gone again within two days! :D**  
**Well, there's plenty of snow in this fanfic, enjoy! :)**

**SUMMARY: **When Merlin tells Arthur the news that he'll be moving from Ealdor to Camelot, Arthur can't contain his delight and kisses Merlin right there, in the snowy meadow. This is the story of Merlin and Arthur who had known each other for years but could only ever meet once a year in the winter. This is the moment that changes their lives forever.

**. . .**

**• WINTER •**

_**Next Year Then, Stranger**_

**. . .**

Arthur was around fourteen years old when he first met him. The boy was slightly younger than him, his hair was as black as charcoal and he lived in Ealdor.

Oh yeah. And he had magic.

Uther would never approve of that friendship, let alone of the feelings that Arthur was soon destined to begin to feel, but that was fine with the young prince. He was fourteen years old, practically a man! He didn't have to listen to everything that his father told him. He had his own head and was ready to make his own decisions.

It started like this. It was an annual winter tradition for the royal family of Camelot to travel to the king's friend's castle for a fortnight. And every year, without exception, they stopped to rest in one of the smallest villages on their way — that village happened to be Ealdor.

Of course, the village could never feed all the royal horses or offer beds to all the king's men, so they only stopped for an hour or so to let the horses rest and eat their own food.

Usually, Arthur would stay with his father and Morgana, but his decision to do the opposite was what first introduced him to magic, to real friendship, and most importantly — to Merlin.

Arthur always felt like he was the responsible one out of the two of them, the mature one, the one who didn't need any knights to protect him. Which was also the reason why he ran away from them in the first place.

He wasn't in any danger in Ealdor anyway. At least that's what he thought until he caught Merlin practising magic, playing in the snow on his own. Arthur's first instinct was to go tell his father, but before he turned and ran, something occurred to him.

First, Merlin was no danger to him or anyone — he was too clumsy and innocent to do that. Second, he was just a kid and probably didn't know any better, so it wasn't his fault. And third, even if he would grow up to be evil someday, Arthur could put a stop to that. He could befriend him, change him, make him better. He was a responsible man after all.

That decision changed both their lives.

Year after year, they would meet at the same spot. They would play, laugh, talk, and Merlin would show Arthur his magic and year after year, Arthur would grow less wary of it until he finally realized how wrong his father had been. And although they could only spend a couple of hours together a year, their friendship grew stronger and by the time they were old enough to realize that, it turned into something more.

They never said anything about it out loud, but this year would be different, Arthur had decided. He'd spent the entire year longing to see Merlin, bringing his hunting trips closer and closer to Ealdor, until finally, the winter came again.

He was around twenty years old now, finally a proper knight and a man, and once again, like every winter, Uther stopped in Ealdor to rest the horses. Immediately, Arthur dismounted, hastily excused himself and ran towards the meadow, where he knew Merlin was waiting.

"Where is he going every year?" Uther asked, shaking his head. "I hope he hasn't found a girl around here. He should know that won't last."

Morgana, on the other hand, was smirking as she watched Arthur run through the snow. She was well aware of Arthur's visits. "Oh, you know how his bladder gets," she teased, making Uther laugh.

Arthur was already on his way towards the forest where he'd first met Merlin, when a snowball landed in his face.

"Hey!" he called at the figure running away. It was obviously Merlin. "Hey, come back here!"

Merlin ran away, laughing, but Arthur was quick to get up and started chasing him. With all his knight training, he was faster than last year, and he quickly caught up to his friend and jumped at him, making them both fall down into the soft snow.

He pinned Merlin underneath him, ruffling his hair and watching Merlin laugh with great delight.

"Let go!" the warlock laughed, but Arthur didn't let go. First, he took a handful of snow and shoved it in Merlin's face in revenge.

When they both sat up again, Merlin was still laughing and spitting snow.

"You're in a good mood this year," Arthur commented, already preparing another snowball.

Merlin nodded. "Yeah, well . . . something . . . happened."

Arthur abandoned the snowball and looked at Merlin questioningly. He seemed worried. But in the next moment, Merlin was smiling up at him.

"My mother is sending me to Camelot, so we'll be able to see each other much more often!"

Arthur couldn't help but smile as he heard that. "You're not joking?"

Merlin shook his head. "Why would I be?"

Without thinking, Arthur enveloped Merlin in a fierce hug, almost choking him. Then, before he remembered his manners and his initial plan to talk to Merlin first, he spontaneously grabbed Merlin by his shoulders and kissed him on the lips.

And approximately 0.8 seconds later, he realized what he was doing.

Arthur let go immediately, already coming up with multiple apologies in his head about how he should have waited instead of acting on his feelings like this, but before he could even open his mouth, Merlin's hands were on his cheeks and he was pulled in for another kiss.

Definitely unexpected, but Arthur melted into it right away.

When the kiss ended and Arthur pulled away, he realized they were both lying on the ground, almost buried in the snow. If they stayed like that and didn't sit up, no one would ever see them here.

Merlin was looking up at him, smiling.

"Is this what every day in Camelot will be like?" he asked.

Arthur certainly hoped so. He was about to say just that when something occurred to him.

Camelot. His home. The place where magic was punishable by _death._

His smile left his face.

Merlin noticed that straight away. "What is it? Is that not what you want? I- I thought-"

Arthur shook his head. "No, of course I want _this_," he gestured at both of them, "but . . . why is your mother sending you to Camelot? Does she even know you have magic?"

Merlin gave Arthur a very confused and judging face. Arthur was used to this by now, he'd learned a long time ago that Merlin had no respect for royalty.

"She's my mother. How would she not know? She raised me, of course she knows."

Okay, Arthur didn't think that one through. "But why is she sending you to Camelot? It's the last place you want to be. My father would execute you if he ever found out and I wouldn't be able to stop him."

Merlin sighed. He took Arthur's hand and smiled up at him. "I'm gonna be fine, don't worry. I'll be careful, and besides, my mother is sending me to live with my uncle. He'll be helping me with my magic, and taking care of me. Everything is going to be fine."

That made Arthur relax a little. Except that now he knew that there was someone in Camelot who would be teaching magic to Merlin — someone who lived in the _city_ and was breaking the law by practising magic.

He sighed.

"But you do realize that I'll want to keep you in sight every day?"

Merlin smirked. "Do you really care that much? I didn't think you were capable of something like that."

Arthur rolled his eyes. It was time for his confession, it seemed. "Yes, I do, Merlin. I do care about you and of course I'll love seeing you in Camelot, but I also don't want you to get hurt."

Merlin's smirk disappeared and he smiled. Arthur was glad to see he was taking this seriously. "I care about you, too, Arthur, and I always have. So please, trust me that I'll be careful."

Arthur wasn't sure how careful Merlin could be, he knew he was clumsy, but he trusted him. "I trust you," he said. "But still, you'll need a job." He finally sat up and helped Merlin get up as well. "When you arrive at Camelot, make sure to visit my chambers, and I'll help you get a position in the royal household."

It was the least he could do for Merlin, and judging from Merlin's excited expression, it was enough.

"Thanks so much!" the warlock exclaimed as he threw his arms around Arthur, squeezing him tight. Arthur laughed as he returned the hug, glad that he could help Merlin and try to keep him safe in Camelot.

It took a while for them to finally let go. It was cold outside after all. But sadly, their annual visit was coming to an end.

They held hands when Merlin shrugged and smiled. "Is there anything you want to do before you have to leave again? We always run around and play in the snow since you're not allowed to do that at home, but to be completely honest with you, I really enjoy just sitting here with you."

Arthur smiled at him. "I'm enjoying this too. And I've got an idea to make it even better," he said as he laid his hand on the back of Merlin's neck and looked down at his lips.

"I like your idea," Merlin hurriedly mumbled as he pulled Arthur closer and sealed their lips once again.

Arthur would have to leave soon, and they would not get to do this for a long time. But Arthur was comforted by the idea that this year, he wouldn't have to wait so long to see Merlin again.

And once Merlin arrived in Camelot and found his chambers, they would get to do this much more often.

***THE END***

**So that's it, this is the last chapter! Thanks for reading everyone, and I hope you enjoyed the fanfics! :)**

**Btw, I'm sorry if there are any grammar mistakes or awkward phrases or anything in this chapter, English isn't my first language and I didn't have much time to properly edit this. I hope you still liked it though. Bye! :)**


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